Chair constructions



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1956 INVENTOI? SANFORD 5. GOLDEN BY HIS HTTOIFNEYJ- HARRIS, KlscH, Fos T51? & HARP/6 United States Patent I v 7 2,985,228 CHAIR 'CONS' I'RUCTIONS Sanford S. Golden, 1093 Broxton, West Dos Angeles, Calif.

File d June 20, 1956, 'Ser. No. 592,652 3 Claims. (Cl. 155-177 The present invention-relates in general to chairs and, more particularly, to mechanism for adjusting and looking in a desired position of adjustment the head rest of a chair, for example, the head rest of a dental chair.

An object of the invention is to provide a head rest particularly useful in dental chairs which is pivotally mounted on a head-rest support for pivotal fore and aft movement, means being provided to lock the head rest relative to the head-rest'support in any one of a plurality of angular positions.

' Another object is to provide means mounting the head- 2,985,228 Patented May 23, 1961 ICC? - the lower end of Fig. 2 and illustrating means for adjustrest support for up and down reciprocatory movement relative to the contour seat, means mounting the headrest support for fore and aft'pivotal movement relative to the seat, locking means for locking the head-rest support against up and down reciprocatory movement in any one of a plurality oi positions, another locking means for lockingthe head-rest support relative to the seat against fore and aft pivotal movement'in any one of a plurality of angular positions, and common control means for "locking and unlocking both of these locking means. A related object is to provide a common control means which includes a common control element, means connecting such common control element to the locking means first mentioned for locking and unlocking such locking means in response to in and out reciprocatory movement of the common control element, and means connecting the common control element to the other locking means mentioned for locking and unlocking such other locking means in response to rotational movement of the common control element. Thus, either of the locking means for the head-rest support relative to the seat may be locked or unlocked by means of the same common control element merely by varying the type of motion imparted to such control element.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of thepresent invention, together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will become apparent, may be attained with the exemplary embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which are described in detail hereinafter. Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a detal chair embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a head rest supporting an adjusting structure embodied in the dental chair of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the upper end of Fig. 2' and illustrating means for adjusting the head rest relative to a head rest support in a fore and aft direction;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through ing the head rest support relative to the seat in a generally vertical direction and in a fore and aft direction;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the arrowedline 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the arrowed line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings illustrated therein, is a contour seat 20 for a dental chair 22, the entire seat 20 being pivotable in the fore and aft direction about a transverse horizontal pivoted axis (not shown). Contour seat 20 may be regarded as divided longitudinally into an intermediate concave section 26 for the support of the hips and portions of the back and legs there adjacent. A first substantially linear terminal section 28 for supporting the upper portions of the back and the shoulders and approximately tangent to the concave section 26 and intermediate convex section 32 for supporting the legs and the regions of the knees and approximately tangent to the concave section 26 and a second substantially linear terminal section 36 for supporting the lower extremities of the legs and approximately tangent to the convex section 32. A head rest 40 and a foot rest 42 both of which are adjustable are mounted on the contour seat 20 adjacent the upper or rearward end of the linear section 28 and adjacent the lower or forward end of the linear section 36, respectively, so as to support the head andthe feet, respectively.

' vAs shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the base 86 is generally 'U-shaped and includes transversely spaced supports 90 for arm rests 92. The concave section 26 of the contour seat 20 being disposed between the arm rest supports.

' The contour seat 20 is also pivotally mounted for fore and aft movement on the base 86 which in turn is mounted on a sub-base 88 for pivotal movement on a vertical axis so that the dental chair may be rotated on such axis in the usual manner. Suitable foot controls as indicated at 138 through a center post actuates an electric motor within the base 88 to raise and lower the superstructure'of the chair. Electric motor 100 is provided to tilt the contour chair about a horizontal axis through knee controls 106.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the head rest 40 is mounted on a head-rest support for fore and aft pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal axis in a manner to be described hereinafter, the head rest being notched, as indicated at 172 in Fig. 1, to permit suchfore and aft pivotal movement of the head rest relative to the support. The head-rest support 170 extends downwardly into the upper or rearward linear section '28 of the contour seat 20 and is mounted on the internal structure of the contour seat for upward and down ward reciprocatory movement and for fore and aft pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal axis, all as Will be described in detail later herein, the upper end of the linear section 28 of the seat being notched, as indicated at 174, to permit such fore and aft pivotal movement of the head-rest support.

To permit changing head rests 40, the head-rest support 170 is made in readily separable, upper and lower sections 176 and 178, the upper section, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, being provided with a transverse shaft 180 at its upper end within the head rest. Also witln'n the head rest is a clamp 182 which is connected to the internal structure of the head rest to support same and which encircles the shaft 180. This clamp includes two arms through which a screw 184 extends, this screw being threaded into one of the arms of the clamp and being seated against the other arm thereof, as best shown in Fig. 3. A handle 186 is set in a recess 188 in the back of the head rest 40 and is provided with a tubular stern 190 which is telescoped over the outer end of the screw 184 and which is biased inwardly by a compression spring 192, there being a pin194 and slot 196 connectionfbetween the tubular stem 190 and thescrew, 184 which .permits pulling the handle 186 outwardly out of this recess 188'for acccssi: bility, or it maybe rotated within the recess if desired. As will be apparent, by rotatingthe handle 186 to. rotate the screw 184, the clamp 182 may be caused to engage or disengage the shaft 180 to lock the head rest 40 in a predetermined angular, fore and aft position about the shaft, or to release it for movement to another position. As best shown in Fig. 2, a stop pin 198 on the clamp 182 is engageable with either of two stop pins 200 on the shaft 180 to limit foreand aft pivotal movement of the head rest relative to the support 170, the angular range of suchmovement preferably being of the order of magnitude of 30.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4 to 6 of the drawings, the lower section 178 of the head-rest support 170 is provided with a transverse tubular shaft 204 which extends into a clamp 206 similar to the clamp 182, the clamp 206 being connected to a sleeve 208 which is vertically slidable, i.e., slidable longitudinally of the linear section 28 of the seat 20, on a guide rod or tube 210 having secured to its ends brackets 212 for. attachment to the internal structure of; the linear section 28 of the seat in a manner not specifically shown. To prevent rotation of the sleeve 208 about the axis of the guide tube 210, the latter is provided with a slot 214 receiving pins 216 on the sleeve; The shaft 204 is retained within the clamp 206 by means of a shaft 218, Fig. 6, extendingthrough the shaft 204 and the lower section 178 of support 170, the shaft 218 having a snap ring 220 onvits outer end.

Extending through arms of the clamp 206 and threaded into one of such arms is a screw 222 by means of which the clamp may be engaged with and disengaged from the tubular shaft 204 to permit fore and aft tilting of the headrest support 170 so as to move the headrest 40 forwardly and rearwardly. A stop pin 224,-Fig. 4, on the tubular shaft 204 engageable with stop pins 226 on the clamp 206 limits the angular fore and aft movement of the headrest support 170. Preferably, the range of fore and aft pivotal movement of the head-rest support 170 isof the order of magnitude of 30, 20 forwardly of alignment with the linear section 28 of the contour seat 20 and 10 rearwardly of such alignment.

The screw 222 has a pin 228 and slot 230 connection to a handle stem 232 telescoped over the outer or rearward end ofthe screw, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The handle stem 232 extends outwardly through a vertical or longitudinal slot 234 in the rear wall of the linear section'28 of the contour seat 20, and pivotally connected to the handle stem 232 is a handle 236 which may be folded substantially flat against the back of the seat when not in use.

As will be apparent, by rotating the handle 236 in one direction, the clamp 206 may be disengaged from the shaft 204 to permit fore and aft pivotal adjustment of the head-r, rest support 170; Conversely, by rotating the handle 236 in the opposite direction, the clamp 206 is engaged with the shaft 204 to lock the head-rest support 170 in any desired position.

Interconnecting the brackets 212 is an apertured latch strip 240 adapted to receive a pin 242 on a latch element 244 and provided therein with a guide slot 246 for. a guide element 248 on the latch element 244, the element 248 in the slot 246 guiding the latch element 244 longitudinally cf the linear section 28 of the contour seat 20 in response to movement of the clamp 206, the sleeve 208, and associated elements, longitudinally of such linear section along the guide tube 210. 1

The handle stern 232 extends through the latch element 244, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The latch element 244 is seated against a shoulder, provided by a snap ring 250, on the handle stem and is biased against such shoulder by a compression spring 252. As will be apparent, by pulling outwardly on the handle 236 to the limit of the pinslot connection 228-230, the latch pin 242 may be withdrawn from one of the apertures in the latch strip 240 to permit upward or downward movement of the head-rest support 170, the clamp 206, the sleeve 208, and associated elements, so astoprovide for adjustment of the vertical position of the head rest 40, i.e., adjustment of the position of the head rest longitudinally ofthe-lin'ear section 28 of the contour seat 20. Uponcompletion ofthe desired longitudinal adjustment ofthe head rest 40, the handle 236 may be released topermitthe latch pin 242 to enter another aperture in the latch strip 240.

It will be noted that the handle 236 serves as a common control element for both the locking means for locking thehhead restsupport 170:againstreciprocatory up and down movement, i.e., reciprocatory movement in the direction. of the linear section .28 of thexcontourseat 20, and the lockingmeans for lockingithe head-rest support. against fore and. aft pivotal movement. In other words, by rotating the handle236, the locking means controlling/fore and aft pivotal movement of the head-rest.support-.170is 0P? erated, and by moving the handle inwardly or outwardly; the locking means. for controlling. reciprocatory up and down movement of the head-rest support is operated. Thus, a single handle controls bothlockingmeans, which is an important feature.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that varioustchangesg-modifications and substitutions may be incorporated insuch embodiment without departingfrornthe spirit of the invention as defined by the-claimshereinafter appearing.-

Iclaim as my invention:

1. Irra chair,- the combination off a seatta head rest adjacent the upper endof saidseat;a headqest'support connected "to said head rest; means mounting said headrestusupport on-said seat for reciprocatory up-and down movement of-said head-rest support relative to said seat and for fore and aft pivotal movement of said head-rest support relative to' said seat; locking means for locking said head-rest support against'up and 'down movement relative to said seat in anyone of a pluralityof 'posi-' tions; another locking means for lockingsaid head-rest support against fore and aft pivotal movement relative to said seat; and common control means for locking and unlocking both of said lockingmeans' either-separately or simultaneously.

2; In a chair, the combination of: a seat; a headrest adjacent the upper end of said se'at;'. a head re'st support connected to said head'rest; means. mounting said headrest support on said seat for'reciprocatory'upf and down movement of said head-rest support relative to said seat and for fore and aft pivotal'mover'nent or said head-rest support relative to said seat; locking means for locking said head-rest support against up; and down movement relative to said seat in any one ofua, plurality of ,posi tions; another locking means for locking saidIhead-rest support against. fore and aft pivotal movement. relative tosaid seat; andia common control .means for locking said first mentioned'locking means in response'to. in and out, reciprocatory movement,- of said; common control element, and means connecting said common control 5 element to said other locking means for locking and unlocking said other locking means in response to rotation- 81 movement of said common control element.

3. In a chair, the combination of: a seat including a back section; a head-rest adjacent the upper end of said seat; a head-rest support the lower end of which extends downwardly and into the back section; releasable locking means within the back section and engageable with said head rest support for locking the head rest in a desired fore and aft position with respect to the back rest; releasable locking means within the back section for locking the head rest in a desired up and down position with respect to said back rest; and manually operated means extending through the back of said back rest for releasing both of said locking means, said manually operated means comprising a single element having two separate locking motions and two separate unlocking motions each of said locking motions and each of said unlocking motions being operable separately or simultaneously,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 508,690 Fauber Nov. 14, 1893 10 2,416,410 Shampaine Feb. 25, 1947 2,466,553 McDonald Apr. 5, 1949 2,480,300 Luketa Aug. 30, 1949 2,544,800 Michaelis Mar. 13, 1951 2,624,397 St. Aubin Jan. 6, 1953 15 2,668,581 Luketa Feb. 9, 1954 

